Hard figures about manure fraud needed

MPs Helma Lodders (VVD) and Jaco Geurts (CDA) want the PBL to provide a more factual substantiation for the report Evaluation of the Fertilizers Act 2016. 'For further tightening of the fertilizer policy, to which the PBL alludes, hard figures are first needed,' says Lodders.

According to Helma Lodders, Member of Parliament at the VVD, it cannot be the case that the Dutch livestock industry is accused of manure fraud by the PBL, while the scientific substantiation for this is lacking. Lodders: 'The PBL report is based on assumptions and personal views. That is of course no basis for sound policy.' For further tightening of the manure policy, to which the PBL alludes, first hard figures are needed.

Remarkable
According to Lodders, it is remarkable that the various water boards in the Netherlands apply different nitrate standards. The input from nature reserves is also not quantified in the report. This means that these areas are not included in the weighting. Ideally, according to the VVD member, there will be a new, independent and scientific study for manure policy. According to Lodders, 'to measure is to know' is the position of the VVD regarding the manure dossier.

Hurry up
However, some haste is required for the implementation of the Sixth Nitrates Directive action programme. This action programme, part of the Water Framework Directive, is intended to secure derogation for broader manure standards after 2018 as well. "That's why there is now time pressure." According to Lodders, it is now the turn of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment to provide answers to questions that the coalition parties have asked about the findings in the PBL report.  

Report raises many questions
Jaco Geurts, MP for the CDA says that the PBL report and the explanation of author Hans van Grinsven raised many questions in the House on Thursday. 'I had more questions after the presentation than before. My impression is that Hans van Grinsven's argument is based more on opinions than on facts. If I have to defend policy, it must be based on facts and scientifically substantiated. That's not possible now. Manure policy is of course about something.'

Response to Mesdag Fund
In response to the report Analysis of the standards within the water framework directive (WFD) by the Mesdag-Zuivelfonds Foundation, Geurts says: 'It is good to also involve sources that are not fertilising. It is now too unclear what the impact of this is on water quality. We also have to deal with the fact that different values ​​apply to natural and agricultural water.'

According to Geurts, stopping the negotiations on the Sixth Nitrates Directive action program that the Mesdag Fund insisted on is not an option. “We cannot stop the process. That would not be in the interest of agriculture and horticulture.'

This article is a co-production. Co-author is editor Wouter Baan. 

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